Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

I love the contoured straps. It really makes a difference when carrying a heavy bag. My only negative observation is that the zipper cover on the large pocket gets in the way when opening and closing. Other than that, it feels and looks great and I'm sure it'll last forever

The design of the bag isn't exactly what I like but all of the compartments are great!

I was sort of disappointed that when I got the backpack it was a lot darker than the one in the picture. I thought maybe I got sent the wrong one but I checked the colors on the tag and it was right. Although I still think it's a cute backpack!

I don't like the backing it's a little to hard but maybe when it gets used some more it will be better. Other than that it's got great storage!

The back padding is really rough and hard on skin!!! Otherwise, this is a great backpack. Very roomy and fitting, and i especially liked the fleece pockets!!

The backpack is great. My only problem with it is that like i said above its a bit too wide. The shoulder straps also might be a bit too thick as well but i suppose it was so they could last longer. Aside from that the overall design is great. And the laptop strap is a great addon.

It feels great but if i new it would be this material i would have chosen a different color

I bought this backpack for my daughter for high school. She loves it and it can take a beating while still looking great. I thought it was too heavy because there is some firm support in the back, but it is good for protecting her laptop.

I love this book bag. The color is great. The outside pocket is awesome. the second biggest pocket it very large. My laptop is bigger then 15" so it does not fit in the laptop pocket. The inside in fleece which is interesting. The chest clip is on the opposite side as my old book bag in the same style. The detachable belt strap is a good idea but I do not prefer it.

I really wanted to get an older model of the recon because I loved it so very much however now that they don't sell them im very sad and I think you should bring back the older model. I would totally recommend the older model to a friend not this one though.

This pack is AWSOME the one flaw is the designe kinda weird

Looks nice but uncomfortable. The straps are way too thin for a backpack. My 20 year old Jansport is more comfortable.

I like the computer section. I like the side bottle pouches. I like the front elastic pouch. I don't like how items stored in the the center zipper area push into the front zipper pouch area, and vice versa.

Plenty of space for laptop and necessary school supplies, however the front netting has ripped and now I will have to find something more reliable for long term use.

Nothing special about this overpriced backpack!!!

The backpack looks stylish and not too big and comfortable. It feels comfortable around the shoulders, but the bag fits less than I thought it would.

I travel a lot internationally, so I was looking for a high quality backpack to use for travel. I saw a review before purchase that the way this backpack is put together causes there to be most space in the main compartment at the bottom, and less at the top - like an upside down pyramid. Since I saw so many positive reviews for the backpack, I decided to buy it. But the pyramid-type shape in that compartment is a significant problem for me. It is very difficult to get to the items in the bottom of the largest compartment of the bag. In order to get to them, I had to unpack most of the compartment. And I think it is also tricky to pack it well, to fill up all of that bottom space. My previous backpack did not have this problem. It had two large compartments which both had a lot more space, so it was much easier to find what I was looking for when traveling. I also liked that my previous backpack's laptop section had two compartments - so I could put the laptop on one side, and items that needed to stay straight, such as important documents, on the other. I would definitely return this if I was not overseas. Since I'll be overseas for months, I will just make do with it and probably buy a backpack that is differently constructed when I'm next in the US.

I take this to work at a school every day, when in session. It is great for my laptop and a couple books, but I often have another bag with what didn't fit. The water bottle pockets have not lasted more than a few months before ripping. The pockets make the bag look more than two years old. Soon there will be huge holes in them. And considering schools closed in March of 2020 and half of the 2020-2021 I've been remote, it shouldn't have holes. Additionally, one of the buckles broke within the year with normal use on a hike.

I use this for everyday use. My old backpack was wearing out so I bought a new one but this bag is soooo much smaller. I don't like the new bag as much.

I use this to bring things back and forth for work. However, it's a pain because it won't stand up and I have to lay it on the floor. No where to hang it

The backpack looks great, is very durable, and the lumbar support is incredible. There are two large pockets and one smaller in the front. The "largest" pocket really only fits a laptop and that's it, leaving only one large pocket to carry your things. This pocket is very deep and fits a good amount, however the elastic band around the outside of the backpack squeezes the top portion of this pocket let, limiting the amount you can store. Additionally the laptop pocket does not reach the bottom of the actual backpack so it protrudes into the second large pocket.

This back pack is cool but it's not wide enough to look through. Every time I look for something I end up having to pull all my bags' contents out. I like that it has plenty of pockets, and the laptop sleeve is plenty cushioned.

Liked it overall, just don't like that it doesn't stand up the tall way. The computer patch makes it uneven and it tips over very easily

The new design of the bag makes it very compact but there is not enough space for larger textbooks. The outer pocket digs into the main compartment so it makes it difficult to put and remove items out when it's full. I love the overall look but it's not designed to hold a lot of storage.

I had an older recon which lasted me 6+ years and traversed every corner of all the main Hawaiian Islands. From the Na Pali Coast on Kauai, the summit of Mt. Kaala on Oahu, the switchbacks to Kalaupapa - the Leprosy Colony on Molokai, through Haleakala crater, and on my university geology trips to Volcano National Park on Hawaii Island. School bag by day, and outdoors bag by night - my absolute "go to" bag. The only reason I upgraded was because all my zippers had finally separated from the bag and it was no longer useable. Initially I was thrilled to receive this new recon as a gift ~1.5 years ago. Unfortunately there have been a number of poor changes with this new generation. 1) the material on the bottom of the bag does not have the same level of grip as the old one so it easily slides flat onto the floor next to your seat or desk even when you prop it up. Extremely annoying. 2) The small wallet/phone pouch in the center of the bag is up higher and when full blocks access to the middle, mid-sized pouch. 3) When the small wallet/phone pouch is full of heavy items and the rest of the bag is relatively empty the bag likes to slump over and not stay upright. 4) the outer side water bottle pockets are a lot taller and you cannot reach them anymore with both shoulder straps on. 5) Outermost webbing pocket does not open nearly as far as old generation even with closest straps unbuckled. When the small wallet/phone pouch is full it also blocks access to this webbing pocket. 6) If you do not want to use the waist strap you have to leave it cinched along your lower back. The old generation had a passthrough behind the lower back padding where you could tuck the waist strap away. I want to love this bag as much as my old, faded, trusty recon but I just cant. As odd as it sounds to have fond memories of a bag, throughout a formative time in my life; the butterfly moments, the excitement, the tears, the blisters, my North Face recon was always there. When I look back at pictures it can often be found in the background of a peculiar number of them. RIP to my old friend.